A Motley Medley
by deanee-express
Summary: A collection of one-shots that are neither too fluffy nor too smutty.
1. She's a revolution

Dean had always thought of himself as of an eternal bachelor. It's not that he didn't have success with women: he very much did. Most of them for some reason were strangely drawn to him. He was often told by other people that he had that kooky charisma and a certain rugged charm that attracted females. But now he was 28 and he was feeling different. He never cared about not having found romantic love before. He was more than satisfied with emotional bonds that he shared with his friends. But now it was all starting to change. He craved more than simple sexual intimacy. And it bothered him a bit. He had never felt that way before and he was horrified at the thought of offering a woman more than just his body. He fled from all kinds of relationships before and now he didn't want to risk tying himself up in one and failing. But there was that goddamn need in his heart, even though his brain had very clearly said "nope" to him.

He had never expected to find what he was looking for… backstage. Her light laughter had already left him in a confused haze even before he saw the owner of that pretty giggle. And when his eyes scanned the cute little blonde in a short floral dress and a mic in her hand, he instantly knew that he wanted to be responsible for her future smiles and laughs. He felt weird even thinking something like that. Sure, having those beautiful legs wrapped around his waist – or neck, he thought with a smirk – was something he wanted as well, but it wasn't everything he wanted… or rather needed from her.

"I think she's taken, bro", Roman whispered to him when he caught him staring at her one day.

"I can wait", Dean said calmly, observing how the long blonde waves fell down her back and touched the curve of her waist.

He found himself falling more and more for her with every day that passed. He learned that she wasn't just a pretty face and it relieved him. She was genuine. She was smart. She was funny. She was someone he wanted to take out to movies and dinner.

She was simply lovely. And he just knew that she was going to be someone who would turn his world upside down for good. He felt it in his bones. And he didn't fear it.


	2. A schoolboy crush

He was staring at her again, not even realizing that the corners of his lips curved upwards whenever he saw her smile. It happened way too much lately. But it seemed to him like she was becoming more beautiful with each passing day and he couldn't help but admire how stunning she was. Tonight was no exception. It would be a lie to say that he didn't notice the little red dress she was wearing, though. It revealed just enough of her skin beneath the lattice detailing at the neckline and in back. She somehow always managed to find sexy, but not over the top things to wear at work. Bonus points if she wore red. As far as he was concerned, WWE's uncrowned queen of red Eva Marie could bow down to Renee. She was the real royalty when it came to that color.

What he was feeling for her wasn't even the regular 'I'd hit that' attraction. Maybe he actually _did_ feel that way the first time he saw her. He couldn't remember. They hung out regularly now and were pretty close, and even though he indeed was physically attracted to her, his feelings for her were by no means as shallow as in the beginning. He cared for her as a friend, but he was also becoming more and more attached to her beauty, her smile, her jokes, her simplicity, her laughter, her wit, her… _everything_. Dean felt like those feelings were starting to escape the zone of simple friendliness. And he didn't quite know what he was supposed to do with them.

"How are you doing tonight?" a pleasant voice enriched by a charming British accent asked him. Dean quickly returned to reality and turned his head towards William Regal. The man sat next to him, observing him carefully.

"…Alright." Dean shrugged. "There's not much going on today." He looked at his feet, which were swinging back and forth. He wasn't lying. He had a regular six-man tag team match with Roman and Seth and there wasn't a lot of storyline progression going on. After all, they were at Smackdown tapings. Bigger angles were reserved for Raw.

"I don't know. You seem absent-minded." Regal tilted his head a bit, eyebrows raising above his pale blue eyes. He knew him so well. Dean considered Regal as some sort of a godfather. They shared mutual respect and admiration, even though Regal could be Dean's father. He knew that Regal's advice was more heartfelt and valuable than any other, and he felt like he saw something special in him. That kind of closeness between them allowed Dean to trust him more than to most of the people.

He sighed and kept looking down, trying not to accidentally glance at Renee, who he could hear laughing with Brie Bella. "The blame is on a certain lady."

"Oh", Regal's eyebrows flew even higher on his forehead. "She doesn't know?"

"I barely realized it myself", Dean chuckled. "I don't know what to do. It feels weird."

"Be a gentleman. Charm her."

"I feel like I'm gonna suck at that charming thing."

"Am I talking to Dean Ambrose? Where's that confident man I know?"

Dean huffed. "Ahhh, I don't know. We're friends and I don't wanna mess this up."

"May I know who sh– _ooh_." Regal looked towards the backstage area where interviews were being taped and his mouth opened when he noticed Renee and the way Dean was looking at her. Again. "Dear boy, she likes you a lot. Trust me. You have a chance."

"You think?" Dean's eyes lit up a bit.

"Yes." Regal noticed Renee walking over to them and hopped off the crate they were sitting on. "And now I leave you two alone. Do not disappoint me." And with those words he hurried off, making Renee look at him funnily when she came up to Dean.

"What's up with him?" she asked, frowning.

"No idea." Dean shrugged. It took him only a moment to realize that he had to say something. Quick. "You look really pretty tonight."

She smiled. Good. _Good_. He didn't mess up this one. "Thanks."

"Ambrose, we're up next!" he heard Seth yelling from somewhere. He mentally damned him and the time and jumped on the floor, landing closer to Renee than he had intended. Her breath hitched a bit and her pretty big eyes slightly widened, but she didn't back away from him.

He only had a moment. "Bye." He bent down and pressed his lips on her cheek for a quick kiss. He could still feel the heat of her skin on his lips when he turned around. However, he couldn't help but glance back at her while he was walking away. She was still standing in the same place, smiling to herself and touching her cheek, which was becoming almost as red as her dress, especially after she noticed that he'd looked back. It made his heart flutter like mad.

Yep, he had a major crush on her.


	3. Live wire

Renee was so absorbed in her new book about contemporary witchcraft that she barely noticed the door of her hotel room opening. It was only when she heard Dean saying "Hey, babe", that she glanced at him.

"Hi." Her eyes narrowed a bit when he took off his beanie and she saw that his hair was wet. He usually came from the gym all fluffy-haired because he had to blow-dry the messy mop on top of his head during winter.

"Whatcha doing?" his eyes cast a gaze over her while he was unpacking his gym bag.

"Oh, nothing special. Just reading."

He smirked. "Something about the magic stuff again, huh?"

"Witchcraft", she corrected him with a smile. She almost bit her lip when he took off his shirt and went to bathroom, not bothering to close the door behind him. They were far too comfortable with each other to bother with such things.

"I'm kinda starting to fear you", he said while he was washing his face, chuckling.

"I thought that you already feared me and my mighty biceps", she smirked, closing the book and flexing when he turned to her. He laughed, making Renee's heart flutter. His torso was glistening and his skin was still slightly flushed from the effort of working out and Renee gulped before speaking again. Now _that_ was interesting. "So, how was the workout?"

"Pretty good, but the gym was way too cramped. There was a 10-mile line in front of the showers, so I just left after I was done."

So that's why looked so… wet.

Renee hesitated for a moment before jumping off the bed and sneaking into the bathroom, catching Dean just when he threw his pants on the floor. Her hands grasped his waist and she surprised him with an intense kiss. The faint smell of sweat that lingered around him woke up something primal within her, something she didn't understand but didn't bother to anyways. Their lips danced in unison while her hands were sliding over his slick body, fingertips running from his stomach to the light fuzz on his broad chest. He tried to lead the kiss, cupping her face and biting on her lower lip, but she was way too aroused to let him have it his way. She grabbed a fistful of sweaty curls on the back of his neck and controlled his movements, her tongue again slipping into his mouth and kissing him deeply.

Dean's eyes went wide with surprise and excitement when they broke the kiss, gasping for air. Renee's chest rose up and down, her cheeks flushed and everything inside her burning with sexual energy as she watched the man in front of her with lustful eyes. She was sure that as soon as his hands touched the inside of her thighs, she would melt into a puddle.

"Holy fuck", he panted, not used to such displays of dominance from her. "What was that for?"

"A sweaty man does things to me", she explained, unbuckling her belt and sliding her jeans down her legs while Dean watched her in awe. "Pheromones and stuff."

"Seriously?"

She was already in her bra when she replied, looking him straight into eyes, horribly horny and impatient. "Honey, just fuck me, will you?"

He didn't need to be told twice. He quickly reached behind her, undid her bra and let it fall on the floor, immediately going for her panties afterwards. "No shower before?"

Renee chuckled, her whole body tingling with carnal passion. "Who said I didn't want a second round in the shower?"

"Jesus Christ, woman."


	4. A chocolate-box lover

Late-night cravings irritated Renee endlessly. Not only was the kitchen cold and uninviting after slipping out of Dean's warm bed, but giving in to the temptation also meant more calories to burn in the morning. But her stomach simply wouldn't give up on the idea of chocolate chip cookies ice-cream, so she groggily stumbled to the kitchen, grabbed a spoon from the drawer and opened the fridge, looking for the damn ice-cream.

She flopped on the nearest chair as soon as she found the box, opening it and feeling her mouth water. Stupid chocolate was her worst addiction. She dug the spoon into the ice-cream and brought it to her mouth. Her eyes closed in bliss when she tasted the sweet chocolatey goodness. She could swear that everything tasted ten times better at midnight than during the day.

"Ren–"

"AAGH!"

"Fuck!" Dean backed off, turning the light on and looking at her in bewilderment. Renee had almost fallen from her chair, instinctively lifting the spoon in the air, her eyes wide in fear.

They looked at each other for a second, both slightly disturbed, until the edges of Dean's lips curved upwards and he bent over with laughter. Renee was finally starting to come to her senses, realizing how ridiculous she looked with a box of ice-cream in front of her and using a spoon as a potential weapon.

"You scared me", she huffed, embarrassed, sticking the spoon into the ice-cream and feeling her cheeks getting hotter.

"Dude, I used to stab people with a fork on the indies, but a spoon is fucking hardcore." Dean wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes, his voice still shaking from it.

"You're lucky I didn't throw ice-cream on you."

"Nah, you like that shit way too much to throw it around." He chuckled. "I heard you getting out of the bed and I thought that you were feeling sick or something."

"Well, I have a really bad case of sweet tooth, if that counts", Renee said, shoving more ice-cream in her mouth. "Want?"

He hesitated for a moment, observing the ice-cream with a doubtful grimace before eventually giving up, pulling out another spoon from the drawer and joining Renee. "Now I gotta go running in the morning", he said, but ate the ice-cream anyways.

"Let's go biking instead", Renee suggested. She hated morning jogs, but she wouldn't stay home when she was surrounded by wilderness and the desert. She loved staying in Vegas. The weather and the landscapes were far too nice to not take advantage of them.

"Or maybe we could do some indoor cardio?" He winked. Her knowing smile got lost underneath his lips. His kisses tasted like chocolate and she was suddenly very into that idea.

"Okay, but we're going biking after that", she managed to say when his lips lowered to her jawline.

"Mhm", he mumbled in agreement, nibbling on Renee's skin. "We'll take this to bed, I think." He grabbed the ice-cream box and Renee giggled. She was always up for his bedroom experiments.


	5. Stemming from the ground

Dean sighed to himself and took a second to prepare himself to walk through the huge glass door. A defeated expression dawned on his face. He had never gone to Tiffany's before and he was, to put it lightly, stressed out. In fact, he wasn't sure if he had ever gone to a jewelry store in his entire life. But now he had to. He had just come back from the Abu Dhabi tour and wasn't able to be with Renee for Valentine's, so he wanted to surprise her with something nice. A fine piece of jewelry seemed like a good idea to him, especially because he knew that she wouldn't expect it from him. With how much he loathed fanciness and expensive things in general, Dean had to admit that her expectations were pretty justified. He was fully aware of his cheapass nature and he had no intention or desire to change it. But when it came to pampering Renee, he was more than willing to spend a few extra bucks. So he sucked it up and finally entered the store.

For a moment he was blinded by the shine of the jewelry in the glass display cases. Uncertain of what he was looking for amongst all that glitz and glitter, he slowly approached the dark-haired saleswoman behind the counter. "Hello."

"Hello, sir. How can I help you?" Her smile was blindingly white and sickeningly fake. Dean quickly eyed the elegant pastel rose dress that she was wearing and then realized that he looked as if he had just come out of some bar, wearing a baseball cap and a black leather jacket with a tank top underneath. He shrugged mentally. Oh well.

"Uh… I'm looking for a gift. For my girlfriend", he added quickly after her questioning look. "I just want something that's not heart-shaped."

"Does she wear necklaces, bracelets, earrings perhaps…?" She raised her eyebrows.

Dean kept silent for a moment, remembering Renee in the moments after he'd strip her of all her clothes. He recalled that there was usually something small and shiny around her neck. "…I guess a necklace would be fine."

The lady nodded, pulling out a necklace display in front of him. "If she's a diamond lover, we have this wonderful butterfly pendant in platinum and diamonds. It's very classy but also simple."

Dean's brain almost melted as soon as she mentioned diamonds. He loved Renee, but diamonds were something else. He decided that he'd pull that card only if he gets engaged to her someday. "Yeah, uh… I think something simpler than diamonds would work just fine as well." He shifted his weight from one leg to another uncomfortably, trying to smile a bit, but it came out as an embarrassed grimace.

Fortunately for him, the woman tolerated his awkwardness pretty well and proceeded to brush her hand over a large section of silver necklaces. "Well, you can never go wrong with silver. I recommend you to take a look at these beautiful colored gemstones. Or, if she likes a more vintage feel to her jewelry, pearls may be a good choice."

Dean nodded, even though he was completely lost between so many shiny shapes and colors. He didn't like any of the gemstones and he feared that Renee wouldn't like the color or something. He wasn't impressed by pearls either, so he tried to find the least decorated pieces on the display.

A small, unusually-shaped pendant on a simple silver necklace was the first one to catch his attention. At first he thought it was a misshapen heart, but it was longer and rounder than a heart. "What is this one?" he asked, pointing towards the necklace.

"That's Elsa Peretti's Bean pendant. It makes for a very sweet, but also a sophisticated gift for your lady. It's a classic, so I'm sure she'll know about it." She looked at him with a sympathetic smile which Dean appreciated.

He found it funny that a bean-shaped pendant was apparently an iconic piece of jewelry in the US, but he liked it. It was quirky, but not too much, and it was simple enough. And it wasn't an unoriginal heart-shaped pendant. That was actually all he wanted. "Is there, like… a meaning behind the bean or something? I don't know a lot about jewelry, I'm sorry."

"There is, actually. The bean represents the origin of all things. So it's a meaningful gift for your significant other, because you're basically telling them that they're your source of life and happiness."

Dean liked what he was hearing. He picked up the bean, rolling it between his fingers. He just _had_ a feeling that Renee would like it. "I think I'm gonna take it."

He wasn't wrong in his prediction. Her surprised reaction upon seeing the necklace and hearing about its meaning was everything he hoped for and more. She let out a few excited squeals that sounded a lot like "oh my god thank you", hugged him so tightly that he thought that she would suffocate him and topped it off with a long smooch.

But what he loved the most about it was that almost two months later, when he would wake up before her and look at her unconscious figure, the tiny bean was still there, resting on her bare chest even while she was asleep.


	6. The dawning

Dean was humming to himself, his hands in the pockets of his jeans and his mouth occupied with nothing else but chewing a piece of gum. It was a nice change from all the talking and interviews he had to do during the day. He was finally done with all of them and was just walking around Axxess. Sometimes it was actually nice to just look at everything that was going on. There were still some folks being interviewed, kids were running around, people were buying merch at the stands, fans were taking pictures with their favorites… it gave Dean a chance to feel the buzz of WrestleMania Week a lot better than just sitting and answering the same questions over and over again.

He had to discreetly dodge a few small groups of obvious smarks to avoid nosy questions and taking a dozen selfies with them, but other than that, he was feeling really relaxed about the whole thing. A few kids did recognize him, but he was always happy to spend a minute with them. They were after all a lot more genuine and fun to be around than the _really_ hardcore wrestling fans.

But he was completely unprepared for the moment when he felt someone lightly tugging at the edge of his shirt and saying "Excuse me, sir?" in a tiny voice. He looked down, taken aback, and saw a blond kid wearing a green baseball cap looking up at him with tear-filled light blue eyes. He couldn't have been older than ten. Dean was so confused by the sight that he failed to see anything that wasn't that little guy, and so Renee, who was just happening to pass by, went unnoticed by him. For what she was thankful later.

The boy's jaw dropped when Dean looked at him and he realized who he was. "Dean Ambrose?" he asked in a high-pitched voice.

"Yep, that's me." Dean squatted so he could be at his eyelevel. "Why are you crying? Can I help you out?"

"Umm…" He was clearly star-struck, utter disbelief visible in his every feature. It brought a small smile on Dean's face. "I lost my dad somewhere."

Dean's eyes widened a bit. He half-expected him to ask for an autograph or a picture, but at least now he knew why the boy was crying. "You lost your dad? We'll find him, don't worry. What's your name?"

"Danny", he immediately answered, hope lighting up his face. "You'll help me find him?"

"Sure I will." Dean smiled to him. "What does he look like?"

"Uh… he's short. A lot shorter than you. And he's chubby. He has Harry Potter glasses and a red baseball cap."

"Harry Potter glasses? Like, the round ones?"

"Yeah. And he's wearing a Sting shirt."

"Okay. Now give me your hand so I don't lose _you_ , buddy. Where and when did you lose your dad?" he asked Danny when the kid squeezed his hand.

"About ten minutes ago. I saw Paige and turned around to see her and when I turned back to my dad he was gone."

"Alright, he can't be too far then. He's probably looking for you anyways." Dean bit his lip, trying to think where the hell he should start searching before an idea popped up in his mind. "You know what – why don't you sit up on my shoulders? I think you'll spot your dad easier than me."

"Really?" Excitement shone in Danny's eyes. He was beside himself when Dean lifted him on his shoulders and started walking around with him. He temporarily stole Danny's cap to be slightly less noticeable, but even like that, his large frame stood out in the crowd, especially now that he was strolling around the place with a small child practically hugging his head.

Meanwhile, Renee was following them from a safe distance, trying really hard to keep calm and not make any noises that would embarrass her and reveal how much she loved the sight in front of her. She was holding a now totally forgotten cup of coffee in her hand and a permanent goofy smile was plastered across her face.

"There he is!" Danny announced in his high-pitched voice and pointed towards a nervous-looking middle-aged man in a black shirt and a red baseball cap. Dean waved at him and started walking in his direction, trying to get noticed. It didn't take long until the man started running towards him and Danny.

"Oh lord…" he panted, looking straight at his child. "Danny, I'm so sorry, I noticed you weren't there after half a minute or so…" And then his eyes scanned the face of the man who brought him his son. "Good god. Dean Ambrose?"

"Nice to meet you, sir." Dean shook his hand. "Your kid is great. He didn't freak out a lot or anything."

"Well, you're one of his favorites. This must be surreal for him." He looked at his kid and then at Dean with wide eyes, still processing the entire situation. "Thank you so much for helping Danny out. How can I repay you?"

"Nah, man, it's all cool." Dean put Danny back on the ground and gave him back his cap. "…Actually, do me a favor."

"Yes, anything."

"Buy Danny an ice-cream. He deserves it."

The man smiled and nodded, putting a hand on his son's shoulder. "I will. Thank you again."

"You're welcome."

Renee waited until Dean took a picture with Danny and then she approached him, her eyes shining happily. "Look who saved the day."

"You saw all that?"

"Yep. I gotta say, you're amazing with kids."

Dean shrugged. "They're like adults, but better. So they gotta be treated better too."

Renee just smiled. She felt as if all the glee and pride of the world were bubbling in her chest in that moment. She knew that it was too early to make that thought as something more than just a product of her imagination, but she could easily imagine Dean as a dad. And she was ready to go down that road with him. She realized long ago that she wanted a lot more from their relationship than what they had right now, even though she was incredibly happy to just be with him. And now that she was growing more and more aware of the fact that he would excel in the role of a parent, despite whatever he thought about finding himself in that situation now, she was even more willing to wait and take things slowly. She had all she needed, and all he needed was a little more time.


	7. Love you, don't kill yourself

Renee had strictly ordered Dean to come and see her for a minute before the WrestleMania Kickoff pre-show began. Her entire body was tingling with stress and jitters, and it wasn't even because she was hosting the show. Cameras, television, panels and interviews were something she'd grown used to a long time ago.

What made her seriously consider going to the toilet and throwing up to get rid of the nervous chaos in her stomach was Dean's match. Ladder matches were fun when you were a kid and didn't focus on anything besides your own enjoyment, but now, things were different. Despite the undeniable thrill that those matches brought into every wrestling fan's heart, you only had to be a fan of one guy inside that ring to have legitimate concerns over his well-being.

Especially when that guy was your boyfriend. And also someone who fed off risk and adrenaline.

So all Renee wanted to do when she saw him coming towards her with his wrists already taped was to tackle him and drag him away from the stadium. She didn't care that he outweighed her by more than a hundred pounds. She'd get a crane to get him out of there if she had to.

He took off his sunglasses when he approached her, squinting. "You're pale as fuck. You okay?"

She shrugged, suddenly feeling unable to talk. She didn't even want to imagine how she'd feel when he walked out on the stage for the match. "Ready?" she managed to squeeze through her dry throat.

He nodded. "Yep." Renee didn't know if his confidence relieved her or made her even more nervous. He really didn't seem to care about the perils of that match. "Are you?" he smirked.

"I'm not sure", a small smile adorned her lips. "I don't want you to die out there."

"I've been through worse than ladder matches. I'll be fine." He attached a loose strand of hair behind her ear and smiled back to her. He had a point, but Renee still feared for his life. One misstep and he could be done.

"What spots did they tell you to do?" she asked, not really sure if she wanted to hear the answer.

"I'm not telling you."

"What?"

"I think that if I told you, you'd faint."

Renee felt the last remains of blood in her cheeks flow down to her feet. "Oh my god."

He giggled and she wanted to slap that cute smile off his face. Idiot. "I won't kill myself, I promise. You can kick me in the balls if I get anything more than a few scratches and bruises." He cupped her face and pressed his forehead against hers. He caught Booker T looking at them with a smile from the corner of his eye, but he ignored him, looking into her girl's eyes instead. "You won't give me a good luck kiss?"

"Of course I will", she said before getting on her tiptoes and start off with a gentle kiss that she intended to deepen just to remind him that he won't be getting that if he decides to risk his well-being more than what was necessary. But a loud whistle coming from behind her back interrupted her and she broke the kiss, holding onto Dean's neck and turning her head to glare at Corey Graves. Dean was just about to start talking trash at him, but Renee pressed one last soft kiss on his lips and he found himself unable to focus on anything else but her. "Remember me when you're out there, okay?"

"I will." His thumb caressed her cheek. "I'll see you later then."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Thankfully, the feeling of his lips lingered on her own long after he'd left and it made her a bit calmer. It made her believe that she would be able to watch him and get through that damn match without any heart attacks. After all, Dean was a survivor. Precisely that thought fueled her hope more than anything else.


	8. In cahoots

As soon as she found out that Dean was at the doctor's office, Renee left everything behind and started running. The image of him hitting the ladder after Harper's powerbomb kept replaying in her mind and freezing the blood in her veins. He landed straight on his head and neck and it looked like the impact had broken him in half. She could swear that she saw blood on the back of his head when the cameras panned to him and the doctors outside the ring, but she couldn't be sure.

She didn't even wait for an answer when she knocked on the door of the office, breathing heavily and opening it. She was greeted with a surprised look from the doctor, who was cleaning the dried blood off Dean's head after he had stapled the wound there, and a small smile from Dean. He immediately got on his feet and opened his arms so she could hug him and bury her face in his chest.

"It's just a bit of blood. Not even a concussion." He leaned his chin on top of his head and stroked her hair.

"I don't care. Just let me stay like this for a moment." Her muffled voice made the corners of his lips twitch upwards. He gave a thankful thumbs up to the doctor, who wordlessly waved at him before leaving the office. "So that's why you didn't want to tell me anything about the match. I nearly had a stroke after that stupid powerbomb."

"I landed pretty badly. It probably looked awful."

"Yeah, never do that to me again."

Dean chuckled. "Sorry, darling, but I think you'll have to go through many more moments like that with me."

Renee groaned and unwillingly took one step back to look at him. He was usually high on adrenaline after his matches, pacing around and unable to stand still, but this time he was unusually calm. It slightly worried her, but she said nothing.

* * *

Another night, another loss. This time to Cena, for the United States Championship. Dean kept telling Renee how losses didn't mean much to his character, but that was the catch. The losses didn't mean much to _Dean_. Jon was a different story.

He was quiet during the entire drive from the arena to their hotel, and after he'd showered and lied in bed as well. Renee tried to cheer him up with a few stupid jokes Cesaro had told her and JBL earlier that day and the story about Bo Dallas driving with Nattie and Tyson and nearly crashing their car into a tree, but it just got a few weak smiles from him. It bothered her. She wanted her goofy, rambling Dean back.

"You can talk to me about anything that's on your mind", she told him quietly, playing with his hair. "You know I'll listen."

He sighed, closing his eyes for a brief moment. "I just wish I had more of a… direction. I mean, I know that my moment will come, but… sometimes I feel really bummed out. Losing at WrestleMania and losing at Raw afterwards feels bad, y'know. Not having an idea where I'm heading is even worse. Especially when everybody around me seems to be enjoying an amazing moment in their careers and I can't even win the US title. It feels like I'm doing something wrong."

So _that_ was why he was being so quiet the whole time. It pained her to listen how disappointed he was, but she tried her best to look on the brighter side. "You know they're trying to elevate both the US and the IC titles. Neither Cena nor Bryan will drop them so fast now. But you know what… Money in the Bank is in a little more than two months." A small smile appeared on her face. "And it's in Ohio."

"Let's just hope the fans don't turn on me before that. I just got used to being face, I don't wanna go heel just yet."

"You're crazy. The fans love you. Everybody loves you." She smiled. "Like you said, your moment will come. I know that you're a patient man, and if you can wait, then I can too. We'll get through this together."

A genuine, grateful smile stretched across his lips. "You're the best."

"I am. Now sleep. You need it." She pressed a kiss on his temple before snuggling into his chest and reveling in the inviting warmth of his body. He would get his chance to shine. She just knew it. He was far too amazing to not become a big player in the business one day. And as he wrapped his arms around her protectively, she smiled and silently promised to herself that she would stay with him on that path.


	9. You're the one

"Excuse me! Can I take a picture with you?" Dean and Renee heard a high-pitched voice behind them. Renee almost melted when she saw to whom it belonged. A tiny blonde-haired girl was looking up at them with her big hazel eyes, waiting for their response, and an older man who appeared to be her father stood next to her with an apologetic smile on his face.

"I'm really sorry for bothering you, but she's a big fan", he explained.

"No, it's okay", Renee smiled. "Do you want both of us in the picture or just Dean?" she asked the girl.

"No, both! I love you too." She stretched out her arms and flew into Renee's hug. Renee thought her heart would explode when she picked her up.

"I'm almost taller than you now", she giggled, touching the top of Renee's beanie. All Renee could do was grin, completely enchanted by the child.

"Wanna be taller than me?" Dean asked her, smiling. The girl looked at him with wide eyes, not expecting him to talk to her.

"How?" she asked suspiciously, clinging onto Renee's neck and eying Dean's tall figure.

"Come." He stretched out his arms and she looked at Renee with a slightly scared look in her eyes, but when Renee gave her an encouraging nod, she let Dean take her from Renee's arms and sit her on his shoulders. The girl looked awfully cute and befuddled when she realized that she was so high above the ground. Renee was convinced her cheeks would start hurting from smiling so widely. Dean wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her next to him so that the girl's dad could snap a picture of the three of them.

"Thank you so much", he said when Dean put the girl back on the ground. The girl hugged both of them before leaving, which made Renee glow even more than before.

Her happiness lasted the entire day, amusing Dean. He volunteered to make the dinner, but she was so bubbly and energized that she just told him to take a shower and relax while she did it.

"You're _really_ into kids lately", Dean noticed when they sat at the table.

"I've always liked kids", Renee said, smiling. "I wish I had one of my own."

She almost choked on her food just a second later, when she realized what she had said. Dean looked at her with the same bewildered look. Neither knew what to say for a while.

"You want… a kid? Like, you wanna be a mom?" Dean asked, gulping. Renee bit her lip, uncertain of what the half-panicked, half-confused expression on his face meant.

"I've been wanting it for a while now", she said. "I guess my maternal desire finally kicked in."

Dean remained quiet for a few seconds. "You sure about it?"

Renee nodded. "What about you?"

"I don't know." That was a rare thing for him to say. "I mean, all I know is… you're gonna be an awesome mom, whenever that day comes. And… if I ever have kids, I want you to be their mother."

Renee's eyes lit up so much that he almost felt bad for saying the next thing that came out of his mouth. "But I don't want to fuck it up."

Renee reached for his hands across the table and squeezed them. "You're not gonna fuck it up. You're great with kids."

"Yeah, but I don't know how to _raise_ them. I never had a proper paternal figure when I was a kid. I always thought of myself as the cool uncle or something. Not a dad."

Renee shook her head and walked over to him to sit in his lap. "You're gonna make the best dad ever. And even if you do mess up something, I'll be there to smack you upside the head and fix it."

Dean smiled a bit, even though he was still confused about this whole thing. "I don't know. I'm scared."

"You're not alone. You think I'm not scared of giving birth?"

Dean made a painful grimace. "Ugh. That's fucked up."

"But we'll go through all that together. When you finally hold the kid in your arms, it's all gonna make sense, I promise." She gently kissed him. "Okay?"

"Yeah… I just need a bit of time to get used to the idea of _me_ being a dad." He closed his eyes and shook his head, making her giggle. He was so adorable sometimes.

"We have to discuss it all with the office first anyways. You'll have plenty of time to get used to it."

He nodded, biting his lip, and Renee sat back in her chair, euphoric. She couldn't hold back a smile the whole time while she was eating. Having a baby with Dean was one of her biggest dreams, and now it was coming true and she couldn't be any happier.

"You know that I'm gonna bug you with all sorts of questions now, right? And some of them are probably gonna be stupid as hell." He looked at her apologetically.

"I'll take that", Renee said with a smile. "Gladly."


	10. Through thick and thin

_I wrote this after Money in the Bank and forgot to post it, but now it's finally uploaded._

* * *

Dean could barely walk when Renee found him backstage. He was slowly walking through the mass of their coworkers, slouching and obviously exhausted, and he couldn't manage to keep his head up, despite people passing by him and patting him on the back, sympathetic words and smiles pouring all over him. He would just wince a bit every time someone touched him. Renee's heart clenched at the sight.

"Hey", she said gently when she approached him. Pale blue eyes looked at her and his lips twitched as if he was trying to smile, but he wasn't very successful at it. She hugged him before he could protest about being sweaty and gross, wrapping his arms around his neck so that she wouldn't touch the sore skin on his back. Neither could care less about all the people around them.

"I'll be your champ next time, I promise", he said in a low voice that nearly shattered her heart.

Renee kissed his cheek. "You'll always be my champ", she said, holding back tears. "But you look exhausted. Let's go to the hotel."

* * *

He had to lie on his stomach after he'd showered. It looked to her like there would be a couple of nasty bruises on his back the next day, but what got to her more was his quietness. He just lied on the bed with his eyes halfway lidded, but Renee could see that he was thinking. Hard.

Sometimes she just wished he'd stop doing so much damage to his body. She knew that he was tough, but she feared that his body would unexpectedly suffer a breaking point one day. She knew that would kill him. Wrestling was everything to him.

He closed his eyes for a second when Renee's fingers caressed his hair, getting it out of his face. She knew that he wasn't in the mood for speaking, so she didn't want to push anything, but she wanted to comfort him somehow. If his back wasn't hurting, she would've simply spooned him—or, as he preferred to call it, jetpacked him. He always found it adorable because she was so much smaller than him.

But now she had to rely on conveying the message only with her eyes and a few gentle touches here and there. He seemed to relax while she was caressing his hair, his eyes fluttering shut more and more often. His breathing deepened too, which made Renee sigh in relief. He needed to sleep now, not overthink everything.

"Can you keep doing that?" he quietly asked after a while, turning his face towards Renee. His blue eyes were looking into hers with an innocent, tired gaze. She gently smiled, nearly melting at the look he was giving her.

"Of course I can." Her thumb brushed over his cheek as she turned off the lamp on the bedside table, snuggling closer to him and pulling a sheet over their bodies. He completely relaxed into her touch when her fingers kept running through his hair. A small smile appeared on his lips after she'd gently kissed him. "I love you."

"I love you too." He threw an arm around her waist, kissing her forehead. "Thanks for always being here."

"You don't have to thank me for that." Another kiss fell on his lips. "Now sleep. You need it, love."

He just pulled her closer as an answer, burying his face in her chest. She was more than glad to comfort him that way. Nothing made her happier than knowing that he could trust her. She swore to herself that she'd stay with him no matter what a long time ago, and so far nothing made her doubt her decision. Quite the opposite.


	11. Creativity overflow

"Hello?"

"Hey, babe." Renee put the phone on the speaker and left it on the nearest counter as she measured the length of the table in his—now _their_ , she had to remind herself—kitchen. "I gotta ask you something."

"What's up?"

"Can I redecorate this place a bit while you're not here?"

He hesitated for a moment. "Redecorate?"

"You know, hang some pictures, buy a few candles, pillows, maybe some flowers too… nothing major."

"Yeah, sure. Just don't drag that armchair you love so much to the dumpster, alright?"

She chuckled. "Okay, I won't. Love you. Have fun tonight."

"Love you too. Bye."

Renee hung up and rubbed her hands excitedly. Now that she had his approval, she only had to head out downtown and buy everything she needed. He was doing house shows over the weekend, so she had two whole days to do as she pleases with their place. She couldn't wait to start shopping. It was her first week since she moved in with Dean and she still hadn't unpacked all her stuff, so she had a few decorations and gadgets of her own too.

The apartment had an airy feeling to it, with its sand-colored walls, large windows and a mixture of light beige and dark wooden colors of the furniture, and Renee would've adored it if it wasn't so… empty. Ever since she stepped foot through the entrance door, she hoped with all her might that she someday gets the chance to decorate the place. The windows didn't even have proper curtains, for god's sake. There were no plants on the small balcony, no pictures on the walls, not even carpets. Fortunately for her wallet, he did have all the basic furniture necessary, so she didn't have to buy stoves or beds, but the décor was practically nonexistent.

She looked around the living room. Along with their bedroom, it was the space that needed the most spicing up. It basically consisted of a half-empty bookshelf, a couch, a loveseat, a coffee table, an enormous LCD TV and a tacky black leather armchair with a Mötley Crüe logo sewn into it that for some reason Brian gave to him as a gift. She hated it. She liked the band, but that damned armchair was better off in the 80s. It didn't fit at all with the setting of the apartment. But if Dean wanted to keep it, then so be it.

A sigh escaped her lips as she grabbed her bag and the keys to the apartment and the car they now shared, and with one last glance towards the despised armchair, she left the place.

* * *

Wednesday finally came and Renee was more than ready to show off the new and improved apartment to Dean. She did feel slightly nervous, though: even though she did her best to decorate it the way she thought he'd like it and not go overboard with anything, there was always a small chance that he wouldn't be okay with the outcome.

"Ready?" Renee asked excitedly. She was standing on her tiptoes behind Dean, covering his eyes with her hands. They were standing in front of the apartment, having just arrived from the airport.

"Yes."

Renee pushed the door open and led him inside, carefully observing his face.  
"Whoa." His blue eyes scanned the room slowly, absorbing every new detail. He put his bags on the floor, turning around to see all changes. A large carpet was now spread over the laminate; its color matching the new ivory-colored curtains. Next to the couch was a potted yucca plant and miniature cacti and small candles were adorning the coffee table. The large bookshelf was now filled with books that she had brought from NYC and there was even a retro turntable on one of the shelves, along with her records. A simple wall clock hung above the TV and the formerly empty wall across the one with the bookshelf was now decorated with framed prints of world maps and desert-themed tapestries.

"What do you think?" Renee asked, biting her lip. She was anxious to hear his opinion.

"It looks like a proper home now. I really like it." He put his arm around her shoulders. "But you probably spent a shit ton of money on this."

Relief washed over her. "Well, I didn't buy _everything_. There's some stuff from my apartment in New York too."

"Yeah, I see your turntable over there. And the books."

"You'll see it later, but I also put a tablecloth on the kitchen table and bought some cute wall decorations. Also, I put up my posters and pictures in the bedroom. Is that okay?"

He frowned. "Wait. You decorated the bedroom too?"

"Yup. And the bathroom. Every room, basically."

"Seriously, how much money did you spend, woman? Now I feel bad for not contributing." He seemed worried at this point. Renee grimaced. She really didn't think much of that, especially now that she was living in Vegas instead of the insanely expensive NYC—and with another person, on top of that. She figured that the much lower costs of living would balance it out in the end. "You said it wasn't gonna be anything major, so I thought—"

"Don't worry about that now. Come see the bedroom. I also bought new bedding. I wanted it to be a bit more colorful than the previous one." She pulled his hand, leading him to the bedroom and hoping that her not-so-subtle changing of the subject would be successful.

"I will, sweetheart, but I really need to piss right now, so excuse me for a moment."

"Oh, okay." She let go of his hand and watched him rush to the bathroom in amusement. She was just about to get his bags and move them to the bedroom when a sudden shriek startled her.

"The fuck is this— _RENEE_!"

Renee just put her hands over her mouth, muffling her laughter. It seemed like he was going to need some time to get used to the new pug-themed shower curtains.


	12. With the little ones

Dean didn't really like the fact that cameras were following him and Renee all over the hospital. He was used to that and accepted it as a regular part of everything he had to do to promote the company, but cameramen and photographers documenting every step they made was something that he would rather not experience while hanging out with children in need.

Thankfully, there were a lot of things to pay attention to other than the cameras. They were in charge of handing out autographs and replicas of the World Heavyweight Championship to every kid present in the hospital, and their reactions upon seeing them and the belts genuinely brightened his day. Despite being stuck in a hospital and battling medically complex conditions, they were all so enthusiastic and positive. It surprised him.

He was just helping one of the girls put the belt around her waist when he noticed that Renee was carrying a small child, probably less than a year old. A nurse was nearby to potentially help her, but she didn't seem to be having any trouble. Her face was lit up and she was smiling to the little boy in her arms, who was reaching out towards her face. He eventually caught her nose with his little fingers and she giggled, making a funny face that stretched the boy's lips into the cutest smile. Dean nearly melted on the spot.

"You're a natural", he heard the nurse say to Renee when he got back to attaching the belt to the girl's waist. "Do you have any kids of your own?"

"Oh, no, I don't", Renee replied. "Not yet, at least."

"I think you'd make a great mom. I can see it in the way you look at our kids here."

"Really? Oh, wow. Thank you."

Dean could hear genuine surprise in Renee's voice, which made him smile on the inside. In the nearly two years of their relationship, he learned very well that in addition to being a beautiful person, she was great with kids, so hearing someone tell her that she'd do well as a mom was like hearing that the sky was blue.

After visiting the common room, one of the members of the hospital staff led them to the private rooms with smaller children. "Oh my god, look how cute she is", Renee gasped when they visited the room of an adorable little girl dressed in pink from head to toe, the exception being her tiny blue sneakers. "What's your name, sweetie?"

Dean just sat next to a boy in a baby stroller and watched them, enchanted by the sight of Renee and the baby girl. They sat on the play mat on the floor and Renee showed her the replica belt. He tried to pay attention to the little boy in the stroller, but the scene in front of him was way too adorable to focus on anything else. Renee's smile could still make his heart bounce as if he was some kind of a lovesick teenager, and seeing her smile so widely while she was playing with that little girl made his chest swell with happiness. There wasn't a day in his life where he wasn't reminded of how much he loved her and how wonderful she was, but moments like this one made him fall in love with her all over again. She really did have something special in her eyes when she was around kids. It wasn't as special as the way she looked at him, but he was convinced that she'd look at her own child with even more love and care.

He was very much scared of being a parent, but the idea of having an itty bitty Renee or Dean in their house didn't seem as surreal as it did before. He knew that she'd help him to be a good dad, plus it would be _their_ kid and he knew that he'd do anything to succeed at being a parent and a good role model. He would rather jump off a bridge than make his own child go through what he had to go through when he was a kid.

"Hey 'Nee?"

She was so absorbed in playing with the little girl that she almost jumped at the sound of his voice. "Yeah?"

He wanted to tell her that she _could_ be a mom if she wished so and that they could start working on that whenever she wanted, but words just wouldn't come out of his mouth. Especially when cameramen again barged into the room. She looked at him quizzically and he just shook his head, a small smile curving his lips. "You two are adorable."


	13. Gowns and bowties

Dean knocked on the bathroom door impatiently, biting his lip. "C'mon, I wanna see you."

"Patience is a virtue, babe." Renee's cheerful voice came from the other side of the door. Dean groaned, getting up from the bed to look himself in the mirror. Renee and he were going to the premiere of his movie together that night, and he was nervous. He wasn't used to formal events like these, especially not those where he was in the center of the attention. Besides, it would be their first "official" appearance as a couple and he just wanted everything to go well and in a relaxed atmosphere.

But despite his nervousness, he had to admit that he looked pretty sharp in his white shirt, red bow tie and a dark navy blue suit—one of the two he owned. He originally wanted to redo his 2014 Hall of Fame look, but Renee protested against it and came up with the idea that materialized into the combination he was wearing at the moment. She also told him that she would be wearing a matching outfit, and since he had a thing for Renee in evening gowns, it only worsened his curiosity. "I'm gonna ignore the fashion police and combine navy with black", she told him. He had no idea what she was talking about since in his opinion, black could be combined with anything, so he just let her have fun.

"Ready?" he heard her ask from the bathroom. He immediately went to the door.

"Yes."

The door opened and he was immediately rendered speechless for, his mouth falling open. He needed a moment to regain his speaking ability. "'Nee… wow."

She was smiling to him brightly, the deep red lipstick on her lips contrasting against her pale skin and soft blonde waves. As far as he could tell, the only noticeable makeup she was wearing apart from that was a thin black eyeliner streak and mascara. Her dress was indeed navy, paired with elegant black heels. The upper part of her dress that went across her breasts was styled as a bow, leaving a small part of her skin beneath her chest uncovered. It was fitted at the waist and hips and gradually widened towards the hem, ending above her knees.

She always managed to look so sexy yet so classy. It never failed to amaze him. "You look lovely."

"Thank you", she said with a smile, raising her hands to his chest to adjust his bow tie. "You look very handsome too. But we need to fix your hair." She grabbed a comb from the bathroom and sat Dean on the bed, attempting to make his messy curls presentable. He groaned, but he secretly loved her little touches.

"Done", she said after a while and left the comb on the nightstand. Dean glanced up at her and his expression again went completely spellbound. She blushed, smiling.

"Don't look at me like that."

He just sighed, getting on his feet and leaning his hands on her waist. "I have no idea how I'm so lucky to still have you by my side." He wasn't the one to express his feelings often or with such straightforwardness, but when he did, it was always special and it made every hair on Renee's body stand up.

"It's because you're a wonderful man", she said, placing her hands on his chest. "And because I love you." She gave him a quick peck, careful not to leave any lipstick on his lips. When their eyes met again, she smiled in amusement, slapping him on the chest lightly. "Why are we getting so mushy now? I just did my makeup. I don't want you to make me cry."

Dean smiled back at her. "Alright, I'll save the mushiness for tonight then."

Renee raised her eyebrows daringly, stepping away from him to grab her purse and black blazer. "You sure? In a little while we're gonna be watching an adrenaline bomb. I don't think that's gonna get you in a mushy mood."

"Yeah… we'll see what the night holds for us." He helped her put on her blazer, earning a pleasantly surprised look from her. "What? I wanna be extra gentlemanly tonight."

Renee's smile just widened. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly. "Let's go."


	14. Dreams are made of this

To say that Dean wasn't prepared for that moment would be a blatant lie. But even though he _knew_ it would happen ever since he stepped foot in the company, it was still something that felt unreal. Gone were the days of stealing titles. He was tired, he was hurting and a small piece of his mind only wanted to collapse somewhere comfy and get some needed rest, but now he could claim the shiny golden belt in his arms as _his_. He was the rightful World Heavyweight Champion. And that thought only made the adrenaline and the euphoria in his system grow stronger, causing a wide grin to brighten his face.

He nearly forgot that Renee had to interview him backstage right after the match. That was why he was momentarily confused when he saw a cameraman following her, a huge smile on her lips and a mic in her hand. But as soon as he got to his senses, he couldn't help but smile. She wasn't even trying to hide how happy she was. Seeing her so giddy was even better than watching the entire stadium explode when he won the title. He threw the belt over his shoulder, completely and utterly failing at suppressing a smile.

"Dean, congratulations on becoming the new World Heavyweight Champion. Tonight you…"

He couldn't even focus on what she was asking him. All he could do is admire how she still acted so professional despite the overwhelming happiness that both of them were feeling in that moment. And how beautiful she looked. She couldn't have picked a better day to wear one of those short little dresses that he loved so much. It was white and strapless and along with her braided hair and red lipstick, it made her look like a princess. And those hazel eyes and the look she was giving him… he could swear, she was softly killing him.

It suddenly struck him that maybe that moment could very well be the happiest one in his life so far. He finally achieved his childhood dream after so much hard work, and the woman he loved was elated because of that – bringing him double the happiness. That thought hit him like a punch to the gut and he nearly started to cry tears of joy.

"Dean?" the slight change of tone in her voice woke him up from his thoughts. He had drifted away so much that he needed a moment to get back to reality. He didn't even realize that she had stopped talking until she said his name. And he had no idea what was her question in the first place, so he just kept staring at her, still having that stupidly happy smile on his face and not having a clue about what he was supposed to do.

Improvisation crossed his mind. But as incredible as it was, even to him, he wasn't exactly in the mood for that. The only thing he was in the mood to do was something that would possibly make his bosses want to skin him alive.  
But when he saw the slight tinge of pink starting to color Renee's cheeks, he decided to do it anyway. He took Renee's face in his hands and kissed her, literally feeling her shock underneath his lips. He didn't blame her. He couldn't believe he was doing this either. But it felt so _right_. And she actually relaxed into the kiss, something he didn't expect. But he guessed that she just went "to hell with this". Just like he did. So if he was already kissing her, they might as well make it memorable.

To Dean it felt like years, but in reality they broke the kiss only after a couple of seconds. Renee's expression was pure disbelief at this point, but Dean could still see that she secretly loved the kiss. She was at a loss for words, just like him, and the cameraman eventually turned off the camera, rushing away from them and probably going to consult someone about what just happened and what he was supposed to do with the footage.

"We'll deal with everybody later", Dean said, taking Renee's hand and hurrying towards the nearest exit.


End file.
